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Paul Dale

Paul Dale

Church leader slams Labour selection process in Ladywood

A senior figure in Birmingham’s black Christian community has lodged a complaint over the way Labour went about choosing a parliamentary candidate for Ladywood. Read

Birmingham Airport claims expansion will benefit health

Birmingham Airport publishes two reports today which it insists shows that a planned runway extension will have an overall benefit on health and employment. Read

Labour row erupts over Ladywood candidacy

Birmingham councillor Yvonne Mosquito has narrowly lost a battle to succeed Clare Short as Labour candidate for Ladywood at the next General Election. Read

West Midlands misses out on £3bn transport funding

The refusal by Birmingham and West Midlands councils to volunteer for a Government congestion charging scheme means the region will miss out on £3 billion of public transport investment. Read

City council backing for new Colmore Row tower

A proposal to replace the NatWest Tower with a taller 35-storey structure will not detract from the Colmore Row conservation area, according to Birmingham City Council’s director of regeneration. Read

The wait for that Lib Dem inquiry goes on ...

More than two months have passed since Elections Commissioner Timothy Straker QC criticised the character and motives of Birmingham Lib Dem cabinet member Ayoub Khan and the party’s Aston council candidate Saeed Aehmed. Read

End of the line for Grand Central railway plan in Birmingham

The last chances of Birmingham getting a Grand Central railway station at Eastside have disappeared after city planners approved a £350 million scheme for flats, offices and shops on land earmarked by supporters of the ambitious project. Read

Digital advert screen would 'spoil the view'

Birmingham’s claim to be a modern global city has been questioned after plans for a digital advertising screen were blocked on the grounds it would spoil the view. Read

Too much information, Keely

I am fascinated to read the latest Facebook entry from Keely Huxtable, who is the prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Northfield. Read

Promotion for council chief who set up misfiring bill payment system

The official who played a key role in the introduction of Birmingham City Council’s computerised invoice system, which resulted in a backlog of 30,000 unpaid bills, has been promoted. Read

Councillor Mullaney suspended from office after losing appeal

A Birmingham city councillor will be suspended for one month after a Standards Board found that he failed to treat a constituent with respect when making a film about "unauthorised" work carried out to a listed building. Read

Birmingham aiming high with skyscrapers

Paul Dale looks at the changing - and growing - skyline of Birmingham, with new giant projects under way. Read

Future of Longbridge takes shape

Longbridge has taken a major step towards shaking off the shackles of MG Rover’s collapse with the submission of four major planning applications to deliver a new town centre, housing and industry. Read

Memorial service for former Birmingham mayor Richard Knowles

Birmingham’s political establishment came together in a joyous celebration of the life and achievements of Sir Richard Knowles, one of the city’s best-loved adopted sons who died this year aged 90. Read

Birmingham Labour can't escape the threat of mutiny

Birmingham Labour councillor Yvonne Mosquito has been deposed as vice-chairman of the West Midlands Police Authority. Read

Solihull nearer to having new casino

Solihull is a step closer to getting one of a new generation of casinos after the Gambling Act finally made its way through the House of Lords. Read

Ethnic concerns as long-serving councillor voted off police authority

Birmingham councillor Yvonne Mosquito, the first black woman vice-chairman of the West Midlands Police Authority, has been removed from the post. Read

£300m to aid Birmingham's poor areas

Birmingham is to benefit from almost £300 million of Government cash to help tackle crime, unemployment, under-performing schools and health inequalities in the poorest parts of the city. Read

Row erupts over sick leave figures at Birmingham City Council

An argument about the accuracy of statistics has broken out after Birmingham’s ruling Tory-Lib Dem coalition was accused of "massaging" the city council's sickness level figures. Read

Lie detectors could snare work skivers

Workers tempted to skive off to soak up the sun are being warned they could be found out by new phone technology. Read

Author Profile

Paul Dale has been writing about local government in the West Midlands for more than 20 years. The Post's public affairs editor, he is a previous political editor of the Coventry Evening Telegraph and Local Government Correspondent of the Oxford Mail.

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